DNC 2016: All eyes are on the Democratic Party platform

PHILADELPHIA — With Hillary Clinton about to be crowned as the Democratic candidate for president, the attention will then return to the platform that she will run on in her battle against Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Jacqueline Silver of Philadelphia is a platform delegate, having served on the Democratic Platform Committee. She said the 187-member committee finalized the platform during a marathon weekend session in Orlando, Florida, July 8-10.

“It was overwhelming,” Silver said as she picked at her breakfast at Tuesday morning’s meeting of the Pennsylvania Delegation. “We worked long hours to finalize the platform.”

Silver said the first day of the two-day meeting began at 11 a.m. and ended at 2:40 a.m. the next day. She said the second day began at 8 a.m. and ended at 1 a.m. the following day.

When Clinton takes center stage Thursday night to deliver her acceptance speech, supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will be anxiously waiting to hear if the Democratic nominee will sincerely support many of the issues Sanders brought to the table.

Even after Sanders addressed the convention Monday night, many of his supporters were unsure how they will vote in November. They want to hear Clinton sincerely talk about bringing jobs home from overseas and trashing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, addressing greed on Wall Street, making college affordable and raising the minimum wage.

Sanders’ delegates across the country are hesitant to come out for Clinton. Some have said they will look to the Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

John Fetterman, mayor of Braddock, Pa. and former candidate for the U.S.Senate, said all Democrats need to support Clinton.

“I tell that to everyone I see,” Fetterman said Tuesday. “Hillary Clinton is an outstanding candidate and she needs and deserves everyone’s support.”

Fetterman said he didn’t want to see the Democratic Party burn itself down.